Reduce Your Chemical and Pesticide Use in 5 Easy Steps

1. Keep clean. Regularly clean indoor and outdoor areas and keep things dry. Open windows or blow fans for ventilation. Often pests reside and breed in areas that are dirty or moist. Dispose of trash properly and promptly.

2. Assess any “pest” situation. Make sure there’s truly a problem. One bug or insect is quite natural and may not cause harm.

3. Check your labels. Before you buy, store, or use any pesticide, read the label. Pesticides are labeled according to their hazard level: a CAUTION label is considered the least dangerous, WARNING is moderately dangerous, and DANGER is considered extremely poisonous.

4. Read thoroughly. Pesticides are designed to kill creatures. Read all instructions thoroughly, use only the amount necessary, and read beforehand on how to store and dispose of the chemicals.

5. Find alternatives. Use home-made alternatives such as baking soda and vinegar. Many such tips can be found online, for example, check out The Daily Green.